Freelance Writing Jobs: 25 Sites That Pay for Guest Posts

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Want to get your freelance writing career off the ground? One smart strategy is to write guest posts for blogs and online publications.

Not only do these posts often pay better than content mill writing, they're also good ways to get your byline in front of more people. A thoughtful guest post might get you an invitation to write for another client, or it might earn you a few more Facebook and Twitter followers.

The more guest posts you write, the more you can build your career, your authority and your audience. But how do you find sites ready to pay decent rates for quality guest posts?

Here are 25 sites that pay for guest blog posts to help you get started -- plus ideas of where to find even more paying opportunities.

The Write Life is another great freelance writing site, and it pays $35 for well-written reviews of helpful resources. If you've enjoyed your experience with a writing, blogging or publishing course, program or ebook, check its Resources page to see if it's been reviewed. If not, contact contribute@thewritelife.com and share a bit about yourself and your experience with the product to see if you can claim and write the review.

3. Be a Freelance Blogger

Sophie Lizard's blog Be a Freelance Blogger hosts a series of Pitchfests in which writers send in their best pitches -- and the winner gets both a guest post and $100. Watch the blog for Pitchfest announcements, and make sure to read Sophie's guide to writing a successful pitch.

4. Write Naked

Write Naked is a blog about the personal side of writing. Blog owner Tara Lynne Groth pays writers $50 for guest posts and $200 for posts she finds especially impressive. Read her guest post guidelines and get ready to write from the heart.

5. Funds for Writers

Funds for Writers provides "tips and tools for serious writers to advance their careers," and it pays $50 for guest posts. Make sure to stay away from generic "how to write" or "how to avoid writer's block" topics; to boost your chances of being accepted, submit more specific pitches like "how to break into personal finance writing." Read its guidelines to learn more.

6. A Fine Parent

A Fine Parent is a parenting site that pays $100 per post, and you can earn bonuses for popular posts. Check out the guidelines and keep in mind that it only accept pitches once a month.

7. Cracked

Comedy website Cracked pays writers $100 to write guest posts about pop culture, weird news and other topics. If you've ever wanted to write about, say, the biggest plot holes in Scooby-Doo, now's your chance. You need to read its guidelines and join its Writers Forum before you can start pitching.

8. Listverse

If you like writing listicles, Listverse is the site for you. It is willing to pay $100 for list posts that include at least 1,500 words and 10 unique items. Check out its guidelines and see how many eye-catching lists you can create.

9. Knowledge Nuts

Knowledge Nuts is Listverse's kid-sister site. You'll get paid $10 to contribute a short "nut" of obscure knowledge. Go to Submit a Nut to learn more.

10. TopTenz

TopTenz is another list site, and it pays writers $50 per list. As the name suggests, TopTenz specializes in Top 10 Lists only. It has a very long list of guidelines.

11. IWA Wine Blog

Are you an oenophile? IWA Wine Blog pays $50 each for posts that will "help our audience learn about storing and enjoying wine." Take a look at its guidelines and get ready to share your love of wine.

12. BootsnAll

BootsnAll bills itself as a "one-stop indie travel guide," and it pays writers $50 for feature articles. According to its guidelines, articles must reflect the tenets of the Indie Travel Manifesto, including traveling light, interacting with locals and giving back to the local economy.

13. Matador Network

The Matador Network "seeks original writing, photography and video that speaks to the adventures, cultures and identities of people around the world." Payment for articles starts at $20, but you can earn up to $60 in special circumstances. Guidelines spell it all out.

14. International Living

Live abroad? International Living pays $75 for 500- to 600-word stories about expat life. If you're living in a foreign country, read the guidelines and consider sharing your stories.

Tech newsletter WorldStart pays for both guest posts and email newsletter contributions. The pay scale runs from $25 for 250 words up to $50 for 800 words. WorldStart focuses on Windows tips, as well as general internet and computing posts. Check out its pitch guidelines .

17. UX Booth

Do you know how to use design to optimize user experiences? If so, you might want to develop a pitch for UX Booth. This specialty blog focuses on "stories by and for those practicing user-centered design." Its pitch guidelines are very specific, and you'll work with an editor to make sure your finished piece is perfect -- and worth $100.

18. HowlRound

If you love the theater, check out HowlRound. This site has a lot of great essays and interviews about theater and performance. A 1500-word essay earns you $150, an in-depth performance critique pays $100, and a blog post gets you $50. Take a look at the guidelines.

19. XOJane

Fashion and lifestyle site XOJane is always looking for new writers, especially if you want to contribute to one of its popular series such as It Happened to Me or Beauty Dare. Check out its guidelines. Payment isn't listed, but other writers have reported earning $50 or more for their work.

20. Fuse Financial Partners

Fuse Financial Partners, formerly Rock Solid Finance, pays for guest posts about small business issues. You must provide actionable advice; make sure you're offering a concrete lesson or strategy for readers. Follow the guidelines, and be aware that you're pitching to David Worrell, "the world's toughest editor."

21. Model Railroad Hobbyist

If you're a model railroader, add Model Railroad Hobbyist to your list of sites to pitch. Pay rates are variable, although it notes that "a typical article of 3,000 words, 10 photos and a short video clip will net a payment of about $230." The guidelines have more information.

22. Doctor of Credit

Doctor of Credit is "your prescription for healthy credit." This site pays $50 for guest posts -- and if you want more regular writing work, they're also looking for regular contributors. Check out the guidelines.

23. IncomeDiary

Online business site IncomeDiary wants to pay for great posts -- and it's willing to let you name the price for your work. Take a look at their guidelines, study their list of most successful guest posts and pitch IncomeDiary with a great idea to help people make more money online.

Yes, you can even get paid to write for me! The Penny Hoarder offers writers $75 per post (plus bonuses up to $800 if your post hits certain traffic milestones), so take a look at our guidelines and send over your best pitches about earning or saving money, The more unusual or zany the story, the better -- we'd love to hear from people who have earned money as professional mimes, or helped pay for college by starting a business in their dorm rooms.